A Second Chance
by reylo.pinklady02
Summary: The Rise of Skywalker ending spoiler included in this! Don't read unless you've seen it! This Reylo fanfiction does follow the events of TROS and was the only aspect of the film that really killed me. :'( Otherwise, here it is. My wish for what could have happened after the ending. (Completed short story for now) (This one's for all my fellow Reylo girls :'( (and guys too)
1. Chapter 1

The old woman nodded at Rey's response and turned, continuing her walk through the desert of Tatooine.

Rey turned to the force ghosts of Han and Leia, and stepped over to give each of them a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered, "you've given me a family." She sniffled

"Rey, you have a family larger than you could have ever imagined. Maybe not by blood, but who've always been there for you." Luke said

"I know." She smiled

"We have some surprises for you but we'll have to go through one by one." Leia laughed

"Yeah, it would be too much to show you everyone at once... but... Rey, I'd like you to meet Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda... and these are our parents... Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala..." He said as they all appeared through the force

"Probably don't remember me, kid." Han joked appearing though the force. "I guess I passed for a bit of this stuff." He said referring to the force.

"Yeah, with my help." Leia added

"Han!" Rey smiled and hugged her once father figure that helped bring her to see her destiny.

"Listen, Rey, I know I can never replace your father, and it would have been an honor to be the father of such an amazing young lady... but... no matter what, I'll always be here for you kid." He smiled

Suddenly a few feet away Ben manifested into the shape of a force ghost. Rey's eyes widened at the sight of him.

"BEN!" She cried rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around his form. He returned the embrace, finding way to her lips.

"Rey..." he whispered with tears streaming down his face, finally releasing her lips and setting his chin on her shoulder, and then burying his face buried in her neck. "Thank you for freeing me." He cried

"Thank you for saving me..." she answered with tears rushing down her face as well.

Her heart was pounding in relief, extending into Ben's soul proving to him once again that the bond they shared had never and would never be seen again in any other beings. A bond perfectly crafted to meet in the middle of light and darkness, including only the most loving, compassionate and pure aspects of the light and passionate, lustful, emotional aspects of the dark. But there was no anger, no sadness, no compressed or resisted emotions.

"I love you." He said as his eyes found hers

"I love you." She answered, completely falling into the arms of force ghost. "How do I go on without you?" She asked

"I'll always be here Rey..." he said touching her face gently with his hand.

"Who's gonna tell her." Leia asked

"Tell me what?" She turned, still clinging on to Ben.

"Balanced the force you did, give you both another chance we want." Yoda said

"But it comes with some conditions..." Luke said

"What do you mean?" Rey asked looking to Ben.

"I can come back with you... but we can never actively be a Jedi again and obviously not Sith... but we'll never have half the same power with the force we once did..." he told her

She looked deeply into his eyes. "I'll do it." She said "of course I'll do it... just come back with me." She said

"But there's also something else..." Obi-Wan reminded

"It's just... _eventually_... we have two children who are strong with the force... but teach them how to balance it rather than use it as a Jedi or Sith..." Ben said

Rey laughed "Ben, let's do it." Rey smiled through tears.

"I mean we don't have to right now but it's up to you..." he slightly joked

"Ben!" She laughed rolling her eyes and reminding him that his family was listening in on everything.

Rey kissed him softly and turned around toward the other Jedi.

"We'll do it." She said

The ones strongest in the force: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Leia, and Luke nodded, using it to grant one exception of life on the boy they had all wronged yet still had come around to save the galaxy's last hope. Jedi had never granted this to someone before, and would never again. Plus, they needed children with the force to continue just in case. But until then balance would be maintained by not forcing them to choose a side of the Jedi or Sith. But to become one with the force as it is purely. Ben and Rey were the last unrelated force users and were already romantically involved, so it wouldn't be hard asking them to eventually have children anyway.

The force users then shut their eyes in deep thought, sending energy to Ben Solo as his color returned along with the pure image of his own physical self in Jedi robes.

Rey smiled and wrapped his arms around him again.

"Ben..." she cried and found his lips once again.

She grasped his arms still feeling them come into physical form, wrapping them around her as well.

"I missed you." She said

"I love you." He responded

"Hey kids, you almost done there?" Han joked

"Do you want to be his daughter in law?" Ben asked

"Yes," Rey whispered hugging Ben. "It would be an honor to be his daughter in law." She laughed into his shoulder. "But everything to be with you."


	2. Chapter 2

"Much light there is in both of them now." Yoda spoke to the rest

"Because he's finally happy," Leia said

"I haven't seen that smile since he was probably... 9 or 10..." Han added taking Leia's hand.

"I miss him like this..." Leia added, still feeling guilty about all the lost time with her only child.

Han set an arm around her shoulder and held her close, kissing her forehead gently.

"We saved him Leia... and so did she... his soulmate that just happened to be placed on the other side of the force..."

Ben and Rey finally separated from their embrace, smiling and staring into each other's eyes.

"Where are we going to go?" Rey laughed

"You have a home right here... any place on this property..." the ghost of Anakin motioned towards the rebuilt structure that sat on Tatooine sands. "It isn't much, but it's yours if you'd like."

They looked to Luke who had still been through something traumatic here, where he'd lost his only real parental figures.

"It's all yours." He smiled. "Unless you want to travel around and be crazy kids for a few more years."

"No I think I'm fine with some calm for a while..." Rey answered, obviously referring to all the commotion that had occurred in just a few short years.

"I can get behind that..." Ben added

"Thank you... all of you..." Rey said realizing this is the last and only time she and Ben would see everyone together.

Rey's eyes began to water as she walked towards Leia.

"Leia... I don't know what I would have done without you." She cried as they fell into a hug.

"Rey, I'll always be here for you."

"Thank you for being the mother I've never had. For training me. Believing in me even though I came from such a terrible bloodline."

"I had to Rey. I seen your heart. But I also learned the hard way about judging things too quickly." She spoke just as Ben emerged behind Rey. Rey moved aside as Ben approached his parents.

"Mom." He said quietly before finding himself crying in her arms again as he did as a small boy. "I'm sorry mom..." he cried. "How can you forgive what I've done?"

Leia looked into her son's eyes for the first time in nearly a decade, "because you're my son... Kylo Ren was not. And there is nothing that can stop a mother from loving her child..." she paused. "I'm sorry for sending you away Ben..."

"I forgive you... I know you just wanted what was best for me." He cried "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, son." Leia's face flooded with tears as she kissed her son on the forehead. Holding her child close for the final time.

Han then set a hand on his son's arm. Smiling at him as he looked up.

"Dad..." He said.

"Hey kid..."

Ben stood up and stepped toward his father.

"I'm sorry..." he said as tears streamed down his face.

"I forgive you, son." He said hugging his child.

Han patted his son on the back as he looked to Rey. "You've done a great job with this one son. She's a keeper." He joked as Ben turned to see the love of his life behind him. Rey extended a hand to Ben whose eyes met hers.

"Ben..." she said with a smile. "Let's go home."

He smiled back at her and extended his hand into hers. Feeling the softness and tingling sensation of the force that remained each time they touched. It was electric. But in the most light of ways. It was as if he had finally found this hand and would never release it again.

They walked hand in hand back to the structure, in their old brown and white Jedi attire, as their family watched from a distance, seeing a perfect balance manifest for the first and final time.


End file.
